Stars in a Constellation
by thefanshipdarkhorse
Summary: People are like stars in a constellation, connected by the invisible lines of circumstance, friendship, fate, love, even hatred...where it gets tricky is distinguishing where one line ends and another begins. Human!AU. Pearlmethyst, Lapidot, probably others at some point, and mentions all over the place. T for SafeTy.
1. the mandatory backstory

Yay, Steven Universe!

Anyway. This is a human!AU on a primary background of college/university. Pearlmethyst will be the major pairing (at least for the time being), with other relationships mixed in, primarily Lapidot further in. Please leave me a review, they're all we fanfiction authors get in return (other than the pleasure of writing, which has its limits, I have learned), and they're super motivating! :)

Anyway, on to the story!

* * *

Stars in a Constellation

0\. the mandatory backstory

* * *

They met in middle school.

Well, Amethyst was in middle school. Pearl was a high school freshman, and at the time, it had seemed like a thousand years of difference.

Pearl had been hired as Amethyst's tutor as a part of some BS inter-school community move by the superintendent, some pompous, red-faced windbag called Bill Dewey. Amethyst didn't give a damn about school, and Pearl got anxious if she didn't have next month's homework finished and alphabetized by subject.

Naturally, it was a perfect match.

The first time Amethyst laid eyes on Pearl from across public library, where they had (Amethyst, somewhat grudgingly) agreed to meet, she lost her breath for the first time in her life. There was something _about_ her as she stopped to ask the librarian at the desk a question, something unique and uncommon and incredibly, achingly beautiful about her pale skin, light dusting of freckles and peach colored hair that fell in an immaculate semi-bob cut that didn't quite reach her shoulders and curled inward at the tips. (She'd been wearing a light teal headband that day, Amethyst remembers.) Her nose was prominent, but perfectly straight and pointed, adding to the unique charm that had captured Amethyst's attention so completely.

So enraptured was Amethyst by this complete stranger that she didn't even realize the girl was heading for her until she daintily set her bag on the table and hesitantly asked if she was Amethyst Rivera, because she was Pearl Blanche, her tutor. Amethyst blinked and jumped, snapping out of her daze, suddenly aware of just how hard she'd been staring.

"Oh, uh…yeah. I'm Amethyst. Hey."

Pearl's lips had curled slightly upwards into a grateful smile as she slipped into the seat adjacent to Amethyst and pulled Amethyst's (unopened) textbook toward her.

Eyes subconsciously tracing Pearl's graceful, deliberate movements, Amethyst found herself agreeing with the school for the first time in her somewhat short life.

She really _did_ need a tutor.

* * *

Amethyst, being Amethyst, hadn't stayed shy for long, and quickly took a shine to pushing Pearl's buttons and teasing the older girl, just to hear that indignant tone and see the inevitable flush of pink dusting her cheeks. She even allowed herself to be scolded by Pearl for her somewhat reckless behavior (not that the reckless behavior was anything new), just for the inevitable exaggerated sigh and tittering (there was no other way to describe it) that would follow as Pearl's feather-light fingers ran over whatever part of her body Amethyst had injured that day to make sure that she was, indeed, 'okay'.

It continued for a good six months before Amethyst first heard the name that she'd learn to hate more than homework.

* * *

They'd grown closer, not just as a tutor and tutee, but as something resembling friends (though Pearl was a bit of a mother hen which made for an odd, unbalanced friendship)—a rare case of opposites who were just the right amount of opposite that they seemed to just…click. Amethyst, while still entranced by Pearl's unique beauty, had come to look forward to the time she spent with the older girl for more than just eye-candy purposes (though she was still just a little young to know it for what any adult will know it was), and Pearl, while more than occasionally frustrated by Amethyst's devil-may-care attitude and general lack of organization, found herself quite taken with the adorable, rambunctious Latina who contrasted everything else in Pearl's life so completely.

And then one day, Amethyst had walked into the library for one of their study sessions (late, as always), only to find Pearl sitting at their usual table (early, as always), staring blankly at the textbook in front of her, looking like she was staring right through it.

(Amethyst had known immediately that something was wrong. This wasn't _like_ Pearl. Textbooks _excited_ Pearl, the complete and total nerd.)

"Yo, P."

Pearl had blinked and slowly raised her head, turning to Amethyst in acknowledgment, though it took several seconds for her eyes to focus properly. "Oh, Amethyst. Hello. Shall we get started?" She'd gestured vaguely to her water bottle, and Amethyst raised her eyebrows.

"Um, yeah, no," she said bluntly, plopping down in the seat next to Pearl, whose eyebrows were now furrowed as if she were thinking very hard about something. "P, what's up? What's wrong?"

"Wrong?" Pearl blinked. "Nothing, I'm fine."

"Coming from the girl who wants to tutor me using her water bottle?" Amethyst retorted dryly, "That's not gonna cut it. Tell me what's wrong."

At that, Pearl had heaved a long, tortured sigh. "It's…it's Rose."

"Rose?"

A faraway look had appeared in Pearl's eyes—one that was much different than the look she'd been fixing her textbook just a minute ago. "Rose _Quartz_ ," she'd clarified, with a dreamy sigh that made Amethyst's eyebrows draw together involuntarily. She already wasn't liking the sound of that—but she hated seeing Pearl upset even more, so she urged her to continue.

And Pearl did. For more than an hour.

Rose _Quartz_ was a college student, a student teacher who had been working alongside Pearl's regular teacher since several weeks into the fall term. From what Amethyst could gather—Pearl went off on several tangents along the way, most of them involving Rose's hair or perfume or her eyes (" _oh_ , Amethyst, her _eyes_ )—Rose _Quartz_ was infinitely kind, loving, and took a great deal of interest in all of the students, particularly Pearl, who she saw 'potential' in.

She sounded like an amazing teacher, and Amethyst hated her.

It turned out that Pearl had been upset because Rose had come to school positively glowing that day, and had confided in Pearl (who, as usual, had been painfully early to school) that she was dating the most _wonderful_ boy.

" _Greg,"_ Pearl had said, bitterly. "He looks like an absolute ruffian. She says he's in a musician, and that he's an amazing singer." Pearl had actually huffed at this, chest puffing slightly. " _I_ can sing."

(She _could_. Pearl's voice was the most beautiful sound Amethyst had ever heard, but somehow she doubted Pearl would care about _her_ opinion.)

* * *

As a freshman, Amethyst didn't really _need_ a tutor anymore, strictly speaking. As Pearl had said hundreds of times, Amethyst wasn't dumb.

( _"Just lazy. And disorganized, and a little…_ **oh** _, Amethyst, is that a Snickers bar in your…your_ **bra** _?"_ )

But Amethyst _was_ afraid, however subconsciously, that if the tutoring stopped, she would never get to be around Pearl. They gravitated toward entirely different crowds, with the odd, rare exception who seemed to fit in with both (namely, Garnet Jones). Amethyst spent her time cutting the odd class and making the most of her teenage years with Buck, Jenny and Sour Cream who, while well-meaning, were notorious for getting into trouble. Meanwhile, Pearl associated with the traditionally popular crowd, in particular Opal and Sardonix. While she wasn't busy fawning over Rose _Quartz_ , that was.

By the time Amethyst had arrived at Beach City High, Rose Quartz, who was apparently just as amazing as Pearl had made her out to be, had managed to become a full-fledged English teacher. Pearl's infatuation was as strong as ever, if not more so—she had attempted to sneak into a lower level English course just to have Rose as a teacher, but the latter had caught her and steered her into a more appropriate, college-level AP course.

And, unfortunately, the same could be said for Amethyst, who was now old enough to be fully aware of just what that funny, fluttery feeling she got whenever she saw Pearl, however briefly, meant, and who was just as lost over the nerdy, tittering, mothering senior as she had been the day she met Pearl as a freshman.

It didn't help that, as they had grown older and closer, Pearl had become far more comfortable with Amethyst. Even though Amethyst had initially crushed hard on the hesitant, dainty, hairband-wearing freshman, her feelings had only grown stronger and more real the more Pearl's true self became exposed. Because real Pearl—shrill, bossy, know-it-all, sometimes petty and always overprotective—was even more attractive to Amethyst than her perfect prodigy child routine. And because apparently the universe fucking hated Amethyst for some crime in a past life, it turned out that Pearl was surprisingly tactile.

If Amethyst got a good grade on a test, she'd be rewarded with a brilliant smile (like, the nerd was _genuinely_ happy about someone else's grades) and a surprisingly tight hug that was always over before Amethyst had time to process. If Amethyst was being particularly loveable one day, she might be rewarded with a soft smile and cool fingers running down her arm as an unconscious gesture of affection as Pearl stood up to leave. _God_ , Amethyst melted beneath her careful, feather-light touches _every time_.

And as things continued that way, Amethyst could almost forget about Rose Quartz and how she would never, ever have a chance with Pearl (because who could compare to kind loving beautiful perfect?).

Then it came time for Pearl to graduate, and that's when everything had changed.

* * *

Amethyst had come to her graduation, though she quickly wished she hadn't. Perfect, valedictorian Pearl had been practically glued to Rose's arm, whispering in her ear (she'd been involved in planning the whole thing, of course, and if Amethyst didn't know her well enough to know Pearl was actually a big enough nerd to take _enjoyment_ from planning big, formal ceremonies, she'd think she did it just for the chance to be so close to Rose) throughout the entire day leading up to the ceremony, leaving Amethyst to sulk silently in the background. Garnet, who was also graduating that year, had also been involved in planning, and had stopped by to have a word with both women at some point during the day. At one point, Amethyst had felt that unreadable, omniscient gaze and had looked up to see Garnet, still conversing with Pearl and Rose, with her eyes fixed steadily on Amethyst. Amethyst had flushed with embarrassment and darted her eyes to the floor, tightening her arms over her chest. Of course Garnet knew. How long had she known? Probably from the beginning.

The whole thing had been over in the space of one eight-or-so hour day, though, as with large, crowded, formal events, it felt like forever. Amethyst, stretching and popping every joint that would pop, had been headed out to the dark parking lot to meet Pearl, who had driven her. That's when her world crashed down around her, like a huge tidal wave rolling over hundreds of beachgoers in one fell, seamless blow.

Pearl. Her tutor, her friend, her rock, her overprotective bird mom, absolutely falling apart in the arms of Rose Quartz. She couldn't hear what they were saying, and for once in her life, Amethyst didn't take the opportunity to sneak closer and eavesdrop, because the stinging in her eyes and the ache in her chest told her she really, _really_ didn't want to know. Rose was bending down, brushing stray peach locks behind pale, freckled ears, her free hand cupping both of Pearl's, and there was something about the atmosphere, the careful distance between them and the way Pearl's sobs were racking her thin body that told Amethyst all she needed to know.

It was at that moment that Amethyst had realized, in one of the worst ways possible, what had been happening ever since that first day at the library three years ago. That it wasn't just a crush on her cute, slightly neurotic tutor. She was in love with Pearl. And Pearl was never, ever going to even see her as anything more than an annoying friend at best, let alone feel the same.

She barely even registered the large hand clapping down on her shoulder and steering her away from the scene in a firm, but oddly gentle grip. She probably would have been led anywhere by anyone that day, but luckily it was Garnet who had effortlessly helped her into the passenger seat of her car (or it might have been a truck, or a van. It could have been a small passenger airplane and Amethyst wouldn't have known or cared about the difference) and ensured she'd made it home safely.

It had been Garnet who had acted as a barrier between Pearl and Amethyst, when Pearl bothered to ask about her (several weeks later)—Garnet who had listened patiently to the whole story and deciphered the important bits from Amethyst's blubbering.

And even when she did speak to Pearl again, it wasn't the same. Given that the summer was Pearl's last before heading off to college in the fall, it was easy enough to say that they'd just been too busy to see each other (and besides, Amethyst had thought, bitterly, it wasn't like Pearl had a reason to spend time with her anymore, now that she wouldn't be tutoring her). But there was tension now, and boundaries that had never been there before. Amethyst wasn't afraid that Pearl had noticed her feelings—as if she could see two feet to her left or right through her Rose Quartz-colored glasses. Pearl had been less affectionate since that night with Rose, almost as if Amethyst had just been a distraction to her, a way to make up for not being able to have Rose.

And Amethyst had taken it as exactly that, and closed off to Pearl entirely, not only avoiding or ignoring her, but being outright hostile. On the rare occasion Pearl tried to touch her, instead of melting into the touch, she'd jerk away before she had a chance. When Pearl would nitpick or fuss over Amethyst, instead of joking around or teasing, Amethyst would respond harshly, arguing with her and shutting her down.

She knew it hurt Pearl, and, realistically, she knew that Pearl's face wouldn't crumple like that if she didn't care about Amethyst to some extent. But for all her bravado and jokes, Amethyst was deeply insecure, and it was far easier (in a manner of speaking) for her to completely disregard all of Pearl's affection as having been a product of displaced care than for her to admit that Pearl _did_ care about her (just not as much as Rose. Nobody ever mattered as much as Rose).

As a result, their relationship had grown strained, with Pearl eventually responding to Amethyst's treatment with indignance and anger of her own. And even though it killed Amethyst to have their friendship turned into something argumentative and passive aggressive, it hurt more to be as close as they had been before and know that she could never hope to mean as much to Pearl as her precious Rose Quartz.

* * *

That had been three years ago. Three years since Amethyst last felt Pearl's fingers run fondly down her arm. Three years since the last time Pearl had fussed over Amethyst getting a black eye from some meaningless fight. They had seen each other, on occasion, by necessity, because Garnet was a mutual friend and for some reason refused to let the two of them completely fade out of each others' lives. But any conversation between them had been strained and clipped and inevitably ended in an argument. Amethyst wasn't even sure what to _call_ it at this point. They had never really, truly _fallen out,_ but they certainly weren't friends—at least, not in any remotely healthy sense. But labels didn't matter. Amethyst would never be Rose Quartz, and that was all she needed to know. Bickering and squabbling was easier than being friends and always having that there, hovering over her, mocking her.

But it was about it get a little more tricky. Because all that tutoring was bound to have some kind of effect in the end, however little the actual tutoring meant to Amethyst, and, against all odds, Amethyst was going to college.

Crystal University.

Garnet's college.

 _Pearl's_ college.

Amethyst hoped she had a lazy RA. She was pretty sure she was going to need a _lot_ of booze to survive _this_ party.

* * *

It's a human-gem AU! OMG, so original, I know. But I really like the idea, and honestly, while I prefer reading fanfic to writing (because who doesn't? Or maybe I'm just lazy), while a lot of the SU fanfic writers are better writers than I will EVER be, I don't care for the vague, surreal, non-defined relationship thing that seems to be popular when it comes to the gems. Maybe because they're aliens? Anyway, I'm writing this because I want to see the characters in a more human, less ethereal light. I guess? Haha.

Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys this, and please leave a comment, it means a lot! :)


	2. before the beginning

**Thanks for all the supportive comments from those of you who commented! I was honestly going to post this solely on AO3 because of the massive amounts on SU fanfic that immediately buried mine and because nobody seemed to like it at first. But you guys left such nice comments, I felt like I should keep cross posting, because why not?**

* * *

 **Stars in a Constellation**

 **1: before the beginning**

* * *

Amethyst Rivera surveyed her new living quarters with a mild degree of apathy.

The common area wasn't terribly cramped, but it wasn't anything to brag about, either, and as she lugged her overstuffed duffel bag (packed mainly with perishables and Cheese Whiz) into her new bedroom, she noted that it was equally unspectacular.

She shrugged and threw the duffel carelessly onto the uncomfortable-looking mattress before following in much the same suit. "Ah, well," she said to the empty room. "It is what it is." Amethyst wasn't one to dwell on the negative. If she were…well, the world only needed one Pearl.

 _If that many,_ she thought, half-amused, half-annoyed. It had been years since she'd seen the tall, peach-haired girl, as Pearl was several years older than Amethyst and had gone off to college while Amethyst had still been in high school.

Presently, Amethyst heard a series of…noises (interrupted by the occasional English) coming from the direction of the hallway, and lifted her head, eyebrows raised in mild curiosity.

"… _oof_! Stupid wall…GACK! Urgh…clodding…suitcase! I will… _destroy_ you…! THUMP. _Yerrgh_ , damn door!" This last outburst was followed by the telltale sound of a door being kicked, and a yelp of pain. Finally deciding it was worth her while to check out what all this noise was about, Amethyst rolled off her bed, sauntered through the generously dubbed 'living room' and swung her door open just as a short girl with messy, light blonde hair came into view, back first, dragging a large suitcase along the carpet with both hands.

"Uhhm…hey?"

"GACK!" The girl nearly leapt out of her skin, the suitcase landing on the floor with a solid 'thud'.

Amethyst raised an eyebrow—her right, the one she'd gotten pierced the past summer because it seemed like the college thing to do. "Sup?" she asked, as if it were perfectly common to find frazzled, messy-haired blondes in oversized, neon-green alien hoodies cursing up a storm at her doorstep.

The girl shot her a sidelong glare and puffed a lock of white-blonde hair, which had fallen out of its place, hurriedly clipped at the top of her head. "In case it wasn't obvious enough, _I could use a little help here_ ," she replied in a nasally, and slightly annoyed, tone.

The other eyebrow quirked. "Don't waste time on manners, huh?" she asked casually, watching as the girl struggled to shove her suitcase back upright. The girl shot her what was clearly meant to be a lead-melting glare, though her flushed cheeks and flyaway hair somewhat dampened the intended effect. After a moment more spent lazily watching the girl struggling with her luggage, Amethyst pushed out of the doorframe and tugged the suitcase out of the girl's grasp. She gave a surprised grunt.

"Shit, what's in this thing?" she commented. Then, with a glance at the girl's hoodie and a mischievous smirk, "Moon rocks?"

"Oh, ha ha," the girl snarked. "Though I must thank you for your help. It seems I may have...overpacked." She cleared her throat and pushed her glasses up on her nose in embarrassment. "Slightly."

"Slightly, huh?" Amethyst replied, rhetorically. This girl had an odd way of speaking, almost mechanical. She'd be fun to mess with… "So…where's this going?" She gestured to the suitcase.

"Oh, uh, just down the hall," the other girl stated, then frowned. "I think. I don't really know my way around yet."

"That's cool, neither do I."

The two girls headed toward the end of the narrow hallway, Amethyst lugging the heavy suitcase behind her. After a little asking around (on Amethyst's part—the blonde didn't seem to want to speak to anyone unless absolutely necessary), they found their destination.

With a loud groan, Amethyst lifted the suitcase and tossed it onto the bed nearest the wall.

"Or wait, did you want a window?"

"I don't really care," the girl replied, after a moment looking at the other bed. "And I'd rather avoid any arguments with my potential roommate so early on."

Amethyst shrugged and hoisted herself onto the bed after the suitcase, dangling her legs over the edge. The beds were so high—she doubted even Pearl, with her long dancer's legs, would be able to touch the ground.

Then she shook herself mentally. She wasn't going to waste her college years pining over Pearl.

Or her amazing legs.

Especially when Pearl was somewhere on the very same campus.

"So, I didn't catch your name," Amethyst said, watching the other girl take in her surroundings.

The other girl, who seemed a little disconcerted that Amethyst had just made herself at home. "Peridot." Then, a moment later, "Diamond. My name is Peridot Diamond. And that is my bed." She pointed to the bed Amethyst was currently lounging on. "Kindly get off."

Amethyst laughed—this girl was a trip. Instead of doing as the blonde—Peridot—had asked (or, rather, demanded), she stretched and fell backwards so that she was lying flat on her back on the plastic-coated mattress. "I'm Amethyst," she said, turning onto her side and propping up an elbow to balance herself. "And you can relax around me, dude, I'm not the dean or anything. Take the stick out of your ass, you remind me of someone I knew…back in grade school…"

Amethyst fell silent, and out of the corner of her sharp eye, Peridot regarded the other girl for a long moment. This girl, Amethyst, didn't seem to have any concept of boundaries. It had been less than five minutes and she had teased Peridot, taken over Peridot's bed, ignored Peridot when she asked her to get off, and informed her that she had a stick up her…well, her _bottom_. And yet…she'd helped Peridot, a total stranger, lug her monstrously heavy suitcase to her room without a seconds' hesitation. She would definitely have to study her more before she came to a consensus on what kind of person she was.

"Ah, sorry about that," Amethyst sighed loudly, pulling herself back into a sitting position. "Heavy shit, you know?"

Peridot nodded, as if she knew.

Amethyst seemed to pick up on the hedge, because she just laughed at Peridot's reaction and shook her head. "But this isn't high school," she said, opening her arms in a sort of grand gesture, "this is _college_. This is the beginning of the rest of our lives! It's time to fuck shit up!"

"I sense a flaw in that logic," Peridot commented blandly.

Amethyst ignored her and hopped off the bed rather gracelessly. She'd never been graceful, and it wasn't hard to see why. Anyone could see she wasn't built for it—she was short with short limbs and, while not quite stocky, she was definitely chubby. Not that it bothered her. Amethyst had never had issues with body image. She was just realistic.

Graceful was for people like Pearl, tall and slender and finicky. Graceful wasn't for Amethyst, who couldn't enter a room without the neighbors filing a noise complaint.

" _Gack_!"

Graceful also, apparently, wasn't for people like Peridot, who'd just tripped over her own two feet on her way to hang a poster whose alien-head design matched her hoodie.

"You okay down there, shorty?" Amethyst asked, amusement in her voice.

"Shut up," Peridot said, voice muffled as she picked herself up from the floor, flushing darkly. "And you're one to talk. You're shorter than I am."

"I never said I wasn't. I just said _you_ were."

Peridot grumbled under her breath unintelligibly while Amethyst chuckled and reached over to brush the dust off her front.

"Alright, I'm gonna let you settle in then," she said, straightening up and stretching, hands intertwined above her head. "Unless you think you're gonna need someone to dial 911 for you at some point." Amusement tinged her voice and her features, and Peridot felt herself blushing darker than ever. "I'll see you around, P-dot!" Amethyst left, still chuckling, hands clasped behind her head, while Peridot was left to contemplate this enigma of a person.

* * *

Amethyst groaned into her pillow.

The whole point of college was supposed to be getting a fresh start, right? So then why did her mind keep on drifting back to Pearl?

In reality she knew the answer. Of course it was because Pearl was closer now (physically) than she had been in years, and even though Amethyst didn't _want_ to think about her, her subconscious was stuck in a nervous loop of 'PearlPearlPearl _Pearl_ ' and trying not to think about her was only making Amethyst think about her more.

Fuck, she hated psychology bullshit.

With felt like the hundredth groan that hour, Amethyst pushed herself up with her hands and folded herself into a sitting position. All this lying around by herself was no good for her. She hated silence, and being alone. Not just because it was boring, but because it gave her ample time and lack of distraction to contemplate just how shitty everything was. It turned her into a pessimist, and Amethyst hated that. She was the life of the party, the one who cheered people up when they were feeling down. She hated the feeling it gave her; or, more accurately, the lack of feeling. More than anything, Amethyst hated feeling _numb_.

So despite her body's protests, she hopped off the bed, grabbed her jacket (an overlarge, worn zipper hoodie that had belonged to an old boyfriend whose name she couldn't quite remember, not because Amethyst was that type of person, but because he'd been the first of many fruitless endeavors to forget Pearl, or even to stop caring so _damn_ much) and headed out the door before she could think it through and give in to her laziness.

The hallway was a completely different place from just a few hours before, now that a good amount of students had arrived. A football whizzed over Amethyst's head and she ducked lazily out of the way, hands stuffed in her jeans as she slouched into the common area and casually surveyed her new floormates for the rest of the year.

It was a lot like high school, without the restrictions of teachers hanging around every three corners or so. The football had been thrown by a hulking girl with oddly striped skin and muscles even Garnet may have been jealous of. She was only half paying attention, glancing up only to catch the ball as she chatted with the bored-looking girl leaning against the wall on her left. That explained why it had nearly beaned Amethyst, then. Across the room, a boy with a curly red mohawk was leaning against a wall, obviously trying to look cool and failing miserably as he attempted to hold a conversation with a group of oddly familiar people…

"Yo, Jenny!" Amethyst shouted over the den. Said girl blinked and turned, looking for the person who'd called her, until her eyes settled on Amethyst. She broke into a wide grin and waved enthusiastically as the shorter girl wove through the crowd to join her old high school gang. Jenny held out an arm from her seat on the sofa, and Amethyst, taking the hint, fell onto the cushion beside her, fitting easily under the fashionable girl's arm. "Sour Cream, Buck," Amethyst acknowledged the two boys on the floor. Sour Cream, a tall, gangly, white-haired boy was propped up against the balls of his hands, legs sprawled lazily across the floor, affording room for Buck, who was donning his usual sunglasses and lying out so that his head was resting against Sour Cream's stomach. The two boys glanced up at her and nodded in greeting, clearly somewhat lost in their own world.

Amethyst couldn't help but grin at the sight. These three had the craziest, most amazing relationship she'd ever seen, and she'd never seen anyone who loved each other more. She did always feel like a bit of an outsider, though the three had made it clear she was more than welcome to join in any time she wanted. She would have felt as if she were intruding, and as awesome as their relationship was, it wasn't Amethyst's cup of tea.

"So," the arm around her shoulders squeezed gently, forcing Amethyst from her rare introspective mood. Jenny was wearing a casual expression, but beneath it was a hint of trepidation. "How's it goin'?"

Amethyst raised an eyebrow. "Fine? I only got here a couple hours ago, yo."

Jenny shoved her playfully. "That's not what I meant and you know it," she replied as Amethyst chuckled and fell back against her side. Then she adopted a more serious tone, looking Amethyst right in the eyes. "I mean…how _are_ you?"

Amethyst, mood slightly dampened, rolled her eyes. "Like I said, I only just got here." When Jenny's deceptively nonchalant gaze didn't waver, Amethyst gave a theatrical sigh and threw up her stubby arms. "I haven't even _seen_ her yet, dude, I'm _fine_!"

Unfazed, Jenny gave her a look that clearly said she didn't believe a word of it. Still, being Jenny, she let the subject drop. There was no point trying to have a rational conversation with Amethyst, especially about something like her feelings, when Amethyst didn't want to. The more she was pushed, the harder she would push back, and it was just easier to let her be. Most of them had learned that lesson early on.

And then, of course there were those who couldn't seem to let sleeping dogs lie despite knowing better, whether for the sake of their own pride or simple stubbornness…whatever the case, it was that core conflict that everyone but those directly involved could see was just driving the wedge in deeper. Ironically, at one point in time it had served as a magnet as well.

So of course Jenny was worried about Amethyst. They all were. Amethyst knew, despite how thick and unconcerned she acted. They were choosing their words carefully, walking on eggshells…she wished they would just stop. It wasn't like going to the same school again was going to change anything at all. The bickering came so easily now, Amethyst wouldn't even have to try. And besides, Pearl was a senior now. Just one year, and Amethyst would be free. Maybe being closer to her would even make it easier, what with all the nitpicking and squawking and just overall Pearl…ing. How could she have feelings with all _that_ bombarding her?

 _You did once before,_ a small voice in the back of Amethyst's mind reminded her.

 _Shut up,_ she replied, and the voice obediently died away.

* * *

Amethyst stayed with the trio for a while afterwards, not so much for the sake of conversation—it wasn't like they had a whole lot to say, having only been away from each other for a few weeks—as for the company and the meaningless chatter. The orange-haired boy had skulked off at some point, after being ignored for the better part of an hour, and the crowd had thinned considerably when Amethyst finally got to her feet and stretched.

"I'll see you guys around," she said. "My roommate's probably here by now, I gotta go make sure she doesn't mess with my shit."

"Oh I think your shit's fine, Ame," Jenny replied, staring down at her phone. "Most people aren't into fossilized burrito collecting."

Amethyst flipped her friend off and turned to leave. "And don't get involved with your roommate," Sour Cream added seriously, from behind her.

"That road leads straight to Drama City, yo," she heard Buck add, and could almost see him nodding along with Sour Cream's words as he did so. Laughing at her friends' 'sage advice', she nodded and shot them a noncommittal wave over her shoulder as she headed back down the hallway toward her room.

In all actuality, maybe starting a thing with her roommate would make for a nice distraction.

 _Plus, imagine the look on P's face if I told her I was fucking my—_

Amethyst growled in annoyance at her own thoughts. Who cared if Pearl cared if she was fucking someone else?

Someone _, there is no_ else, _idiot._

She hadn't even seen Pearl yet and she kept invading her thoughts. God, what was wrong with her? It had been three fucking _years_ already. If it was this bad now, how much worse would it get when she inevitably bumped into Pearl on campus (because we've already established that the universe hated Amethyst)?

And to top it all off, this whole thing was making Amethyst start off her freshman year of college in a bad mood, and that was the _last_ thing she wanted to do.

Still frustrated, she swiped her keycard and walked straight into her dorm room, flinging herself face-first onto her (still unmade) bed without even noticing that she wasn't alone anymore.

"Um…are you alright?"

Amethyst's eyes snapped open and she fumbled into an upright position, facing the direction the voice had come from. It had apparently come from the short, sweet-faced blonde girl who was kneeling on the floor, going through her belongings. "Oh, hey," Amethyst said. "Uh…" She hedged for a second, came up empty, and decided on the truth. She sighed. "Sorry about that. I swear I'm cheerful normally."

The girl laughed, and Amethyst felt a weight lift from her chest. She'd hate to start on the wrong foot with the chick she'd be sharing a room with into the foreseeable future. She stood up, dusting off the knees of her jeans. "No worries," she said kindly. "I've seen that look before. Hell, I've _worn_ it." She stepped forward, over the mess of personal items that was currently their floor, hand outstretched. "I'm Sadie."

Amethyst eyed the proffered hand for a moment, eyes narrowing slightly. Taken aback, Sadie faltered in her approach. Then, Amethyst jumped down from the bed and opened her arms wide. "I'm not much of a hand-shaker," she said in a teasing voice. "Let's hug it out, roomie!"

Sadie gave a little relieved/disbelieving laugh and, after a second's hesitation, accepted the hug, tentatively hugging back. When they let go, Sadie was smiling, her cheeks a little rosy, clearly unused to such easy contact, but pleased nonetheless. Amethyst glanced down at all their belongings littering the floor.

"Shit, I hate this part," she commented, and Sadie, following her gaze, laughed.

"Yeah, me too."

It was several hours' worth of work, but Sadie was a surprisingly good conversationalist, and they managed to keep each other entertained through chatting through the chore. By the time eleven rolled around, they were both too tired to do anything more than turn out the lights flop down on their beds (which were now made, though Amethyst's looked more like a nest than a bed, as Sadie had jokingly pointed out), still in the clothes they'd been wearing all day.

Despite her exhaustion, Amethyst fell asleep with a smile on her face. All that mindless work had driven her Pearl-centric thoughts from her brain and she felt much more like herself—happy and ready to face her first real day in a couple days' time.

* * *

 **I'm sorry nothing really happened in this chapter. It's kind of hard to write the base chapters, before really getting into the story, but I hope it's not as hard to read! I was going to have Amethyst and Peridot be roommates but changed it at the last minute for…reasons that, if not already transparent, will become so later on. I hope Amethyst didn't seem OOC in this chapter as well—I take pride in my characterization. It's just what came to me and again, these build-up, nothing chapters are hard so they always become too introspective…anyway, I really hope you guys enjoyed it, at least. I promise the story will take off soon!**

 **I guess it's important (or I think it is) that I let everyone know that I'm not one for dark fics—I get depressed enough without stuff I read/watch being all depressing as well, haha. So no matter what angst may eventually come, rest assured it will have a happy ending! I also want to thank everyone who left me a comment/kudos! You guys are great, and I was so happy to see that so many people seem to be enjoying this so far! I hope you all continue to enjoy this work, and if you have the time, please comment/review as well! I love to hear your opinions/input, and like I said before, it's great motivation for us writers! Thank you all very much for your support!**


	3. something like destiny

**Thanks for all the supportive comments from those of you who commented! I was honestly going to post this solely on AO3 because of the massive amounts on SU fanfic that immediately buried mine and because nobody seemed to like it at first. But you guys left such nice comments, I felt like I should keep cross posting, because why not?**

* * *

 **Stars in a Constellation**

 **2: something like destiny (or maybe just bad luck)**

* * *

"Amethyst…"

Amethyst groaned and batted at the hand that shook her from her blissful state of half-sleep.

"Come on, Amethyst, you're going to be late."

"So?" she mumbled, though with sleep fogging her brain and her unwillingness to so much as extend the energy to fully open her mouth, it came out more like, " _Shho?"_

Sadie rolled her eyes and gave Amethyst another firm shake, using both hands this time, and then yanked the covers off of her. "So it's the _first day_ , Amethyst. At least wait until you've gone to _one_ of each of your classes before you start cutting them.

Her roommate gave a loud groan of protest, but slowly dragged herself upright into a sitting position. Over the (ridiculously short) weekend, the two had become fairly good friends, and Sadie, who, despite being sweet and kind, would tolerate no bullshit when it came down to it, especially when it came to something important like her friends' education. As easygoing as Amethyst was, this made for a fairly good match, and they'd easily settled into their own sort of routine.

Still, Amethyst was not a morning person, and while she wasn't actually mad at her roommate, she was certainly grumpy. "Aren't you chipper?" she grumbled, glaring at the blonde from under her mess of white-blonde hair. And, given its length and natural fluffiness, it was quite the impressive mess, indeed.

Sadie, who was already in the process of applying a minimal amount of makeup, just smiled at Amethyst from the mirror in her closet. "You'll thank me later!" she said simply as Amethyst dangled an experimental foot from the bed before pretty much toppling the rest of the way out.

"Yeah, yeah, not likely," Amethyst replied, grabbing a change of clothes from her own closet and heading for their shared shower. As messy of a person as she was, she still liked her _body_ to be clean at the very least. On her way to the en suite, she paused at the counter just outside the door, glancing at her reflection in the mirror that was attached to the wall behind it.

She had never been one for being overly conscious of her appearance, but today, she found herself watching her reflection with an uncharacteristically scrutinizing eye. Possibly because it was the first day of the rest of her life (or, more likely, because of the ever-looming shadow that was the possibility of running into Pearl), she found herself running a chubby hand over the skin of her face. She'd always had reasonably good luck when it came to her skin—she'd never had a breakout of acne or anything like that—but that being said, it was never perfect, either. Not that she owned any correctional makeup, of course…

She looked away from the mirror. She didn't like looking at herself for too long—it tended to make the faults she saw in herself swim up to the surface and come out in her reflection. And it wasn't as if anything she _did_ would be able to hide anything from Pearl's sharp, bird-like gaze if she wanted to see.

Not that Pearl had ever made Amethyst feel inferior…at least not as far as her looks went. Amethyst almost wished she had. Maybe then she wouldn't be standing here like an idiot wondering what someone who'd never look her way would think of her looks.

* * *

The first half of the day went by pretty easily…or maybe it was just that Amethyst was still half asleep so it passed by in more or less a blur.

Whatever the case, Amethyst was wide awake by lunchtime. Unfortunately, Sadie had a class around this time, so Amethyst was left to her own devices as far as finding someone to sit with. Being Amethyst, however, finding someone to eat with a lunch had been one of the famous traumas she had always been spared. Unafraid of socializing and too laid-back (and too much of a tease) to bully, nobody had ever even tried.

Food tray in hand, she scanned the dining hall, only for her eyes to come to a halt on a small, hunched figure eating by themselves at a (relatively) secluded table near the windows. A mischievous smirk formed on her otherwise deceptively innocent, lightly freckled face, and she made a beeline for the lone figure.

"Yo, Peridork!"

"Gah!" Peridot nearly jumped out of her skin as Amethyst dropped her tray (needlessly loudly) on the table and plopped down into the seat directly across from her.

"You sure make a lot of interesting noises, you know?"

Peridot huffed, cheeks flushing. Amethyst glanced at her setup with a raised eyebrow.

"Yikes," she said, eyeing the serious-looking textbook spread out in front of the girl. "Homework already?"

"I'm reading ahead," Peridot corrected, straightening her glasses.

Amethyst stared at her for a moment before busting out laughing. "Oh, my god," she wheezed, wiping her eyes. "You are _such_ a nerd."

Peridot narrowed her eyes, though her flushed cheeks somewhat lessened the intended effect. "And I suppose _you_ haven't started on anything yet?" she asked, pointedly.

"Nope," Amethyst replied, popping the 'P' as she dug into her cheeseburger. "Pretty sure I was half asleep through most of the morning, actually. Hey, this is pretty good. You know, for school food."

Peridot was staring at her, wide-eyed, like she was some sort of alien life form that just made absolutely no sense. Finally, apparently giving up on trying to make sense of Amethyst, she turned to her own food.

Following her gaze, Amethyst chuckled. "That's your lunch?" she asked, eyeing the bag of cool ranch Doritos and the accompanying Pepsi in amusement.

"Like a cheeseburger is any healthier," Peridot volleyed back.

Amethyst held up her hands in surrender. "Hey, no judgement, yo," she said. "Just, you know, that's not gonna get you very far. Although I guess you do kinda seem like the type to live off snacks."

Huffing again, Peridot chose not to respond, instead popping open her bag of chips and stealthily surveying Amethyst out of the corner of her eye. She didn't _think_ she was being bullied, though it was always a little hard for her to tell. She supposed that was part of what made it so easy for the kids back in high school. Still, Amethyst seemed good-natured enough and while Peridot was a little uncomfortable with the constant teasing, she supposed she could try to get used to it.

There was a silence between the two that lasted for a whole ten seconds before Amethyst spoke again.

"Your roommate ever show up?"

Peridot felt a small wave of relief course through her at this. This kind of socialization, she could handle (probably). "Yes, though I haven't spoken to her," she said. "Her stuff just kind of…appeared…when I came back from the shower. And she wasn't there when I went to bed." This hadn't boded well for Peridot. She _really_ didn't want some crazy, drug-addled party girl for a roommate. And then there had been that morning… "Then when I woke up this morning, she was in the other bed." It had scared Peridot half to death, especially when she thought that someone had entered the room and she hadn't even woken up…but she kept this to herself. "She was still asleep when I left."

"Oooh, mysterious," Amethyst replied, wagging her eyebrows suggestively.

"Hardly," Peridot replied, stiltedly. "I just hope she doesn't turn out to be one of those crazy 'party girls' I keep hearing about." She used air quotes when saying the words 'party girl'. "I don't want anything interfering with my studying."

"You mean like fun?" Amethyst asked dryly, though her eyes were twinkling in amusement. This girl was so like Pearl in some ways, yet so completely different…it was pretty refreshing, to be honest. Plus she was pretty sure a lot of the similarities might be simply because Peridot was still pretty uncomfortable with her. Despite sounding a bit cynical, Peridot didn't seem to have much of a concept of social awareness or, indeed, people as a whole. It was strangely cute. "Maybe you should talk to her. You know, get to know her?"

This idea seemed to fluster Peridot, who made a show of clearing her throat and subsequently choking on a Dorito she'd forgotten was in her mouth. "I- I don't think that's really necessary," she fumbled, revealing more emotion than Amethyst had seen from her so far. "I mean, roommates don't have to have anything to do with each other."

"Well…I guess not," Amethyst replied. "But don't you think it'd be more fun if you guys were friends?"

Peridot's flush darkened, and Amethyst felt an unexpected stab of pity for the girl. Despite all her clowning around and teasing, Amethyst was quite perceptive when it came to other people, and it was all but obvious by this point that Peridot hadn't had many (if any) friends before now— from how she reacted so shocked whenever Amethyst acted friendly toward her to how lacking her social skills were.

"I…I guess…," Peridot replied, her entire tone changing to one of hesitance. Amethyst got the sudden, inexplicable feeling that this was exactly how it would feel if she were convincing a child to try a new food. Peridot was staring down at her hands, apparently unconsciously snapping a Dorito to crumbs between her fingers. "You—you don't think she'll be…"

The unspoken 'mean' came across to Amethyst loud and clear. "I don't know," she said, honestly. She'd never been one for making promises she wasn't sure she'd keep. It saved a lot of pain in the end. "I don't think so," she added when Peridot's unexpectedly vulnerable expression fell. She glanced at the screen of her phone. "Tell you what," she said, gathering her tray in her hands, "if she is, you tell me, and I'll take care of her for you."

She winked at Peridot as she stood, tray in hand, to head off to her next class, missing the blush that the action had painted onto the other girl's skin.

* * *

As prepared as Amethyst had been—as aware of the possibility as she'd come—it turned out that she may as well not have bothered.

Amethyst froze in place, unaware of the grumblings of those students who'd been right behind her and had to swerve at the last minute.

She was different—taller than before, and she'd filled out just enough to be less gangly and more graceful (if that was possible), and an elegant baby-pink undercut styled into a softly curling, feminine mohawk had replaced the always impeccable peach bob-cut.

But there was no mistaking that uniquely beautiful face, delicate features and eyes that sparkled with the prospect of school and learning. (Or, indeed, that prim, uncomfortably rigid and needlessly pretty posture.)

It was _Pearl_.

In Amethyst's fucking _sociology_ course.

* * *

It took me a RIDICULOUS amount of time to describe Pearl's hair. Like, how the hell am I supposed to get the exact image of how her hair looks across to readers without sounding like I'm describing it word-for-word? Hopefully I got the picture across well enough. I still don't like the word 'mohawk' for a female, unless I'm explicitly describing an actual mohawk. But apparently that's how it's described. So yeah.

I don't like this chapter. I had a hard time writing out Amethyst and Peridot's interaction and I'm not sure if I've made the right decision as far as laying the basework for Peridot and her roommate. I really hope you guys enjoyed it, though, or at the very least that it wasn't horrible. Like I said, I hate these setup chapters. Hopefully from the next chapter on it will go more smoothly. Please leave a review, even if you, like me, think it kind of sucked, haha.


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